Rotary NW England & IoM

Help for the Friends of Sandbach Cemetery

Members of Sandbach Rotary have been busy with their paint brushes during the Spring. The Club has had a project for a number of years to keep the bench seating and street furniture in the town and in the parks in good order and they are working their way through the list.

Recently, the Club was approached for help by the newly-formed Friends of Sandbach Cemetery group to help them with the painting of the cemetery gates and railings. They were happy to help and were joined for this project by members of the Sandbach Crosses Club.

The chair of the Friends group expressed her thanks to the two Rotary clubs on facebook and said, “I am so happy to be associated with all the people who gave up their time to help. The gates and railings will hopefully not require painting again for the next ten years.”

It’s all change at the top for Rotary Cheadle Royal

With the start of a new Rotary Year on July 1st the incoming First President of the recently formed Rotary Cheadle Royal, Paul Almond is looking forward to helping the organisation become more relevant, attractive and inclusive to a new generation of local Rotarians.

Having worked for many years as an Executive Director of one of the world’s leading advisory, consulting and expert services organisations; Paul says he can always find time for supporting the local community through Rotary.

Paul joined Rotary after hearing about the benefits of membership whilst at a wedding and said, “Rotary’s strength is not simply the funding they make available for humanitarian efforts but the 1.2 million Rotarians locally, nationally and internationally who pull together to make the seemingly impossible, possible.”

He is looking forward to increasing membership with likeminded people who enjoy an active social life in an informal and relaxed atmosphere whilst supporting those less fortunate and he hopes this will result in an exciting and interesting year for Rotary Cheadle Royal.

Rotary Cheadle Royal meets each Wednesday evening at The Deanwater Hotel. Wilmslow. Contact Paul on: [email protected]

Pulling a 21 ton, 72 foot canal boat from Fairfield Junction, Droylsden to Portland Basis, Ashton may sound impossible but not for a team made up of Tameside Rotarians and volunteers.

On Saturday 9 July, this plucky volunteer crew successfully pulled the canal boat ‘Still Waters’, two and half miles to raise funds for a Tameside-based charity. No crew members were made to walk the gangplank when the boat came to a temporary halt just shortly after setting off and following a determined team effort and a lot of pulling and tugging, the journey continued without any further glitches.

On-board ‘Still Waters’ were 20 Tameside young carers who enjoyed the spectacle of both the ‘pull’ and the scenery on this historic section of canal. On arrival at Portland Basin, each young person received a picnic bag donated by the Bridge View Café. Tameside Rotary’s new President, Mohammed Shamsul Karim, part of the team pulling the boat, said “We’re thrilled that we have risen to the challenge of the canal boat pull. It’s been hard work but a lot of fun. It’s good to see the young people on-board have enjoyed it also. We are very grateful to our sponsors who have helped make this charity event possible”.

The event was organised in conjunction with the Tameside Canal Boat Trust and was sponsored by local businesses Autotech Services, Bonut Engineering Ltd and Murray Steel Products. The proceeds will go to ‘The Lemonade Project’ for young people run by Ashton-based charity, Anthony Seddon Trust.

£2000 donation to UK-MED for Ukraine

Donation of £2000 by the Rotary Club of Chadderton & Failsworth to UK-MED

Professor Tony Redmond OBE is Emeritus Professor of Emergency Medicine at Keele University and Professor of International Emergency Medicine at the University of Manchester.

Tony is a registered specialist in emergency medicine with a special interest in the management of severe injury. He has been involved in international emergency humanitarian assistance for more than twenty five years.
He is founder of UK-MED. They have teams on the ground in Ukraine specialising in training local volunteers to carry out the treatment of wounded personnel in an efficient and life-saving manner. Frequently in war zones injured soldiers and civilians are found to have had inappropriate treatment such as unnecessary amputations, with the best will in the world by unskilled volunteers. The UK-MED teams are providing training to these local hero’s on the ground in several places in Ukraine

Picture shows President Chris Green of Chadderton & Failsworth Rotary Club (District 1285) presenting £2000 to Hannah Billings of UK-MED on 30th June 2022

Dictionaries for Life

On Monday 20th July we were warmly welcomed into the assembly at St Mary's Primary School Dukinfield to present illustrated dictionaries to Year 6 students. As we walked in, we were greeted by beautiful singing about the Eucharist. Several children had received their 1st Communion on the Saturday and they were celebrating with music and photographs.

President Angela Robbins presented the dictionaries and Tameside Rotarians Joyce Howarth and Brian Travis (the dictionary co-ordinators) posed for photographs with the children.

Some children sat looking through the dictionaries and told us how impressed and pleased they were to have them.

We were later given a tour of their lovely forest and play area. For the Queen's Green Canopy, we planted 12 wild cherry trees at Gorse Hall and the school headteacher Mrs McManus told us they had planted a plum tree and have since planted 2 apple trees. President Angela said it was an absolute pleasure and privilege to have been there and shared such a special assembly.

The same team from Tameside Rotary went to Broadbent Fold Primary School this morning to present illustrated dictionaries to Year 6. It's a very pleasant and disciplined school. The very friendly and welcoming headteacher Mrs Catherine Parker introduced us as very special and members of Rotary.

Rotarian John Moon was mentioned in assembly as being a member of rotary and school governor and all the children nodded enthusiastically that they knew him. During the assembly we sang with Doris Day 'Que Sera Sera'. Doris Day is one of our President's favourites, so that was extra special on what will be her last official outing before the handover to President Mohammed. Whatever will be, will be.

Bradda Glen Viewing Platform and Path Project

Construction starts on Bradda Glen Viewing Platform and Path Project - June 2022 The Rotary Club of Rushen & Western Mann Charitable Trust is pleased to announce that work has commenced this week on the construction of a paved viewing platform adjacent to the Bradda Head footpath at Bradda Glen.

This major project will celebrate Rushen & Western Mann Rotary Club's 50th Anniversary next year.

The platform is intended to provide an area with greater ease of access and inclusivity enabling a variety of use to allow the community to enjoy the stunning views from Bradda Glen across Port Erin Bay and towards the Calf of Man.

The Charitable Tashtonrust has developed the project in partnership with Port Erin Commissioners with the generous support of a Manx Lottery Fund Community Award Grant.

Contractors CCJ Group Ltd are expected to be working on site for up to 15 weeks constructing the platform.

On behalf of all partners we apologise for any inconvenience during the construction works that users of Bradda Glen may experience over the next few months.

Congleton Bikeathon Extra

The tots at Friendly Faces Nursery in Congleton, rode their bikes around a course set out in the playground to raise money for the Rotary-Congleton Bikeathon.

Their parents and friends sponsored them to the tune of £120. Suzie Mead, on the left, presented the money to Rotary secretary, Rod Goodier, while the staff and cyclists from Friendly Faces posed for our photo.

Rotary Young Artist Competition

The 2022 Rotary Young Artist competition was launched in March to all local Primary and Senior schools.

This year’s theme was “Congleton 750” so young artists had a very wide topic to choose from.

The competition closed on June 12th, with 400 paintings submitted from 8 local schools.

Judging took place on June 21st which proved very difficult as many superb paintings and drawings were submitted.

Melanie Bishop, Learning and Development officer, and John Stewart, CEO from sponsors Senior Aerospace Bird Bellows were both present at the judging, together with a team of Rotarians.

Congleton Rotary helps Congleton Radio get started

Congleton Radio gets the microphone kit it needs from Rotary

Rotary-Congleton has been a keen supporter of the idea of community radio in Congleton from the outset with the new web-based station promising to add a new dimension and variety to the media output of the town.

In order to give the radio a helping hand, Rotary's president-elect Kevin Thompson presented Stuart Neild with the professional roving microphones that the station needs in order to conduct outside broadcasts and interviews.

Stuart Neild said the brilliant donation from Rotary means that Congleton Radio can truly be out and about – with among others, greater access to people with mobility issues who otherwise would find it hard to be included in the output of the new station.

Castletown Festival of Brass - June 2022

To help celebrate their 125th Anniversary Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band joined forces with Rotary to hold a very successful Brass Band Festival featuring all 7 of the island's brass bands.

This was a really successful community event and Rotary has raised hundreds of pounds for Manx and International charities.

Thank you to everyone who organised, supported and attended and a big thanks to sponsors Santander International.